Australia - Scotland Links - Blantyre Project - Official History, Lanarkshire

Lisa Ashford Potter who lives in Austraila messaged me this evening saying,

“Had to share! I was sitting in the hairdressers today next to a lady in her mid eighties. She hears me speaking to the hairdresser about my ‘Granny’. She turns to me and says “it’s so lovely to hear someone say they had a ‘Granny’. I had a Granny because they were Scottish.”

I said, “So were my Grandparents! What part of Scotland did your grandparents come from?”

Of all places she says, “High Blantyre!!” I mentioned places like Auchentibber, Motherwell, Bothwell, Cambuslang, and she knew them all. Who would have thought two ladies sitting in a hairdressers on the East coast of Australia, sharing a little piece of Scotland – the very same piece of Scotland, High Blantyre!”

On social media:

Margaret Mary OSullivan Small world!

Linda F. Smith I work with a lady (in NY) who was adopted. She has spent years researching her birth, etc. Her adoptive parents would not provide her the truth. A few years back she is excited as the puzzle is coming together. She mentions the trail is bringing her to Scotland, and she actually connects with her possible sister. She shares more details with me. She mentions Hamilton, then references the coal mines. She investigates further and learns she’s from Blantyre – around the corner, almost 3 doors down from where my family lived!! Her sister eventually comes to NY to meet her; we’re invited to her home. My Mum knew grew up with her family! Small world indeed. Now I share with my coworker all the Scottish lingo, customs, etc. She even attends Tartan Day in NY ! A proud Scot!

Helen Grieve The world is a village

Jean Orr I remember my mum & dad going to the wedding of Flora Dickson & Robert Potter ( I may have mixed the surnames) from Auchentibber think it was 1966. She may be a relation!

Anne Ellis That’s the correct names, I remember them getting married late in life. I also remember not wanting to get behind Flora when she took her car out, slow is an understatement lol, God bless her. Stayed up the brickie

Gord Fotheringham I had a very simillar experience 3 years ago in a gardening store…….an older lady decided to pet my dog and low and behold the blanyre twang…….just yelled hullo…….she was raised on rosebank ave,,,,,,beside the railway station…….her daughter came and rushed her away…….no reason just strangers i suppose…..it was lovely……just to see the glint in that old ladies eyes……

Linda F. Smith My mum lived on Rosebank Avenue.

Jackie MacDonald So did mine.

Anne Mackie marvellous xxxx

Anne Ellis that happened to me in Vancouver, waiting for a table in a restaurant I heard a Scottish accent and that was a great thing being a scot living abroad. I spoke to the man who said he was Lanarkshire I said where he said high Blantyre to which I said snap, came from Broompark Road, I said Hunthill x

Andrew Hill Magic

Steven Lightbody Was in Las Vegas being served by a woman called Bridie, I told her that was a very Scottish name, turns out she was Scottish but had lived in the US for 20 years, turns out she was from Springwells!

Deborah Slivinski there is a saying in spanish for this “el mundo es un pañuelo” the world is a handerchief! so blooming true….

Moyra Lindsay Port Bannatyne last week every table in the bar had at least one person born in Blantyre. Now we are all friends.

Moyra Lindsay My uncle met his wife in NY during the war when he was on active service, she had left Blantyre when she was eight.

Margaret Nimmo Lehmann Back in the 70s my brother Jim Nimmo, who had been living here in Canada since 1964ish heard a familiar Scottish voice in a restaurant at a rest stop on the Highway, it was his cousin big Jim Nimmo, they hadn’t seen each other in many years before either of them even left Scotland.

Jean McIntosh Great stories xxx

Moyra Lindsay Hi Jean, you are as Blantyre as any of us!